Knitting machine



July 31, 1962 Filed Sept. 12, 1956 F. G. WEISBECKER 3,046,766

KNITTING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ank fiweisbecker BY W a! pm ATTORNEYS INVENTO Frank 6.Wei. sbecker BY W M PM ATTORNEYS July 31, 1962 F. G. WEISBECKER KNITTING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 12, 1956 ATTACH ED TO COULIER MOTlON V INVENTOR Frank 6.Weisbecker BY M M ATTORNEYS United States Patent @iiice 3,fi45,766 Patented July 31, 1952 3,046,766 KNITTING MACHINE Frank G. Weisbecker, 3th and Maple Sts., Lansdale, Ia.;

Mary Weisbecker, executrix of said Frank G. Weishecker, deceased Filed Sept. 12, 1956, Ser. No. 609,440 3 Claims. (CI. 66-96) This invention relates to automatic knitting machines and more particularly to straight knitting machines of the fiat bed full fashion type. The present invention concerns special apparatus which is attached to such a machine in order that a large variety of special stitches and/ or effects may be produced. The use of the apparatus of the present invention will have primary utility in the field of knitted garments of the sweater type. With the current expanding market for sweaters, many hosiery machines are now being converted for use as sweater machines. It is highly desirable in order to market a competitive product in the sweater field today to be able to produce patterns and other unusual knitted effects in sweaters without having to turn to special knitting machines for this purpose. It is a further advantage to utilize attachments for standard machines, which attachments are so designed that they can be placed into or taken out of use without actually removing them from the machine.

Accordingly, it is the principal object of the present invention to provide an attachment for a standard fiat bed full fashion machine which permits the knitting of a large number of special stitches to produce a wide variety of patterns or effects in the knitted fabric.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an attachment as described above which can remain as a permanent part of the knitting machine and can very easily be placed into or taken out of operation.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the attached sheets of draw-' ings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of portions of one section of a standard flat bed full fashion machine with the corresponding portions of the attachment shown in operative position;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a top portion of a knitted material showing one possible use of the apparatus of the present invention;

FIGURES 3, 4, 5 and 6 show the various successive steps in the formation of a stretch stitch;

FIGURE 7 shows a further use of the apparatus of this invention to form a drop stitch; and

FIGURE 8 is a perspective view showing the operative connection of portions of the attachment shown in FIG- URE l to the Coulier motion.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, which shows in part one section of a multi-section fiat bed full fashion machine, the apparatus of the present invention includes bracket or standard members 10 which are bolted to the machine bed and extend upwardly therefrom. At the upper end of each bracket member, there is provided a bearing 11 so that a shaft 12 may be rotatably supported in these hearings. Rigidly attached to the shaft 12 is an arm 13 which extends downwardly and in the general direction of the sinker head. The lower end of this arm includes mounting means for a blade or finger 14 which is preferably formed from the same stock as are the sinkers and dividers of a standard machine. The exact shape of the finger or blade member may vary, as will appear more fully hereinafter, depending upon the particular operation which it is called upon to perform. In general, the shaft 12 is rocked in timed relation to the knitting action in order that the finger held by the arm may enter the actual knitting area and engage a loop from a sinker or divider Wale and thus change the shape or' stitch which is sequentially formed in that particular wale.

, As shown in FIGURE 1, the normal position of the arm 13 is such that it is retracted from the actual knitting area. Since the arm is rigidly aflixed to the shaft, the'position of the shaft determines the position of the finger member.

Also, as shown in FIGURE 1, a short stop arm member 15 is rigidly aiiixed to the shaft 12 and extends rearwardly of the machine. A latch member 16 is positioned to engage the outer end of the stop arm 15 in order to prevent rotation of the shaft. The shaft itself, however, is normally spring biased to rotate in the direction indicated. The biasing means is shown in part in FIGURE 1 and includes a crank arm 17 rigidly afiixed to the shaft and extending rearwardly therefrom. Pivotally connected to the outer end of the crank arm is one end of a hook member .18. The hook member surrounds the shaft 12 and extends from the outer end of the crank arm, around the shaft in a direction opposite to the biased direction of rotation. The upper outer end of the hook 18 is connected by means of a tension spring 19 to a rigid upper portion of the knitting machine not shown. It will be apparent, therefore, that the force applied by the tension spring acting through the hook member and crank arm is such as to urge rotation of the shaft in a clockwise direction as viewed from the left hand end thereof in FIGURE 1. v

A rocker arm 20 is rigidly attached to the shaft and extends forwardly therefrom. The outer end of the rocker arm terminates in a substantially fiat downwardly facing surface. It is through this arm that force is applied to restore the parts to the position shown in FIGURE 1 after they have engaged in the knitting cycle. The means for applying the force to the rocker arm may conveniently include a push rod 21 which, in turn, is connected through a driving rocker arm 22 to the needle bar shaft 23. Also shown in FIGURE 1 is the draw-off reel 24 around which the knitted fabric 25 is wound under gradually decreasing tensionv In order to limit the extent of inward travel of the finger member 14 carried by the arm 13, an adjustable stop member 26 may be provided at the mid-section of the arm, substantially as shown. This adjustable stop member may be positioned to engage, for example, the bearing support 27 for the narrowing shaft.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that if the latch member 16 which appears in the upper left hand portion of FIGURE 1 is shifted longitudinally of the machine bed at the time that the push rod 21 is lowered due to rotation of the needle bar shaft 23 to effect lowering of the needle bar, the force exerted by the spring 19 will rotate the shaft 12 in the direction indicated in 'FIGURE 1 to cause the blade or finger 14 to enter into the area defined by the needles and the sinkers and dividers and the newly laid course of unknitted yarn. The extent to which the finger 14 enters this area may be controlled by the mounting of the finger upon the arm 13, as well as the adjustment of the adjustable stop 26 at the center of the arm 13. When the needle bar again rises, under the action of the needle bar shaft, the push rod 21 Will retract the finger from the knitting area by rotating the shaft 12 in a direction opposite to that indicated in the drawing and therefore against the force exerted by the spring 19. 7

Referring now to FIGURE 8 of the drawings, the operative connection between the member 16 and other portions of the knitting machine in order to achieve timed lateral movement of the member 16, are shown. A-

bracket member 30 is bolted or otherwise suitably attached to a reciprocating part of the conventional Coulier motion. The bracket member 30 includes a longitudinal bore 31 and through this bore 31 extends an operating rod 32.. The rod 32 enjoys a sliding fit in the bore '31,

3 so that as the bracket member 30 reciprocates with the Coulier motion, no mention will be imparted to the rod 32 until the bracket member 30 engages the collar 33, which is rigidly aflixed to the rod 32. From this point of engagement, the rod 32 then moves with the bracket 30 and through a spring member 34 which loosely surrounds the rod 32, acts to move a crank arm 35 which is also slidably mounted on the rod 32. A second rod 36 extends from back to front of the knitting machine and is suitably journaled above the knitting area by conventional means which are not illustrated herein. The

. member 35 is rigidly aflixed to the rod 36, as is also the case with the upper end of the member 16. It will be apparent, therefore, that as the Coulier motion reciprocates, the rod 32 will have a limited and similar reciprocation, the extent of which depends upon the exact placing of the collar 33 with respect to the bracket 3% Reciprocations of the rod 32 act through the medium of the crank arm 35 to rock the rod 36, which in turn gives an identical rocking motion to the member 16 about an axis which is the same as the longitudinal axis of the rod 36. The member 16, therefore, is periodically shifted out of engagement with the member 15, and therefore permits the spring 19 acting through the hookmemb er 18 and crank arm 17 to rock the shaft 12 and move the arms 13 and fingers 14 into and out of engagement with the knitting area.

Whenever it is desired to stop knitting the special effect and return the machine to conventional knitting operation, it is only necessary to grasp the arm 13 and manually rotate it in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed from the lefthand side of FIG. 1 and to continue such manual rotation until the arm 17 extends in a position substantially 180 away from the position shown in FIG. 1. The spring 19 will then act to urge the shaft 12 in the opposite direction and the machine will then continue to knit a conventional stitch.

With the apparatus as thus far described, it is possible to obtain a wide variety of fabric effects, the exact nature of which depends upon the shape of the finger, its position with respect to the sinker head and needles, the frequency with which it is allowed to move into the knitting area, in relation to the knitting motion, and further, by the number of arms and fingers which are used in each section of the machine. Only a few examples of what may be accomplished are illustrated and described hereinafter.

Referring now to FIGURES Z to 6, inclusive, a simple stretch stitch is illustrated. FIGURE 2 shows the position of the needles 4% as they are about to pull a new course of yarn through the loops of the previous course. In other words, the needles areon their way down, preliminary to completely casting off the old loops. As shown in FIGURE 2, the finger 14 is of such size and shape that it will pick up and hold one of the newly formed loops between adjacent needles and hold the loop at or about the level 'of the nose of the sinker 41. In.

FIGURE 3, the needles have not descended quite as far as is shown in FIGURE 2, and hence, FIGURE 3 may be said to be the start of formation of a stretch stitch. Note that the finger 14 has moved into the knitting area from the front thereof and has engageda loop at or about the level of the sinker or divider, and is holding that portion of the loop at that level as the needle descends. In FIGURE 4, the needle has descended below the loops of the previous course, and in FIGURE 5, the needle has re-ascended, holding now on its shank the stretched loop of the new course, while the finger 14 has been retracted out of the knitting area.

- In FIGURE 6, the needle has completely risen and is in position to begin the next knitted course with the finger completely withdrawn from the knitting area.

Thus, FIGURES 2 to 6 illustrate probably the most simple and straight-forward use of the present invention. The standard stitch is not changed in the sense that a different stitch is formed. It is merely that in one wale there are a series of loops which are stretched and are therefore loose as compared with similar loops in adjoining wales. The effect appears in the finished fabric as a line extending along one Wale. Obviously, with two or 7 more arms 13 identically'mounted on the shaft 12 in each section of the machine, any desired number of such lines may be made to appear in the finished fabric. Also, the operating end of the arms 13 may be modified to provide for the mounting of more than one finger per arm to achieve still further design effects.

Referring now to FIG. 7 of the drawings, a still further use of the apparatus of the present invention is illustrated. FIG. 7 shows use of a blade member 14C which is similar to those previously described. It should be noted, however, that the blade is working in a very different area with respect to the stitch formation. As shown in this figure, the blade extends completely past the needle bank and above the press edge. The held loop, therefore, is held in such a position that on each new course, the loop which would normally be caught under the beard of the needle is held away from the needle beard, and

therefore, a conventional drop stitch is formed in each 7 wale in which the blade is positioned. There is a further difference in the operation of the blade to produce a 'drop stitch, and that is that the blade may remain in' the position shown in FIG. 7 without being moved in and out of the knitting area, as is the case for the previously illustrated stitches. As long as the blade is left in this position, the drop stitch will be formed in that Wale.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that there is herein shown and described a new i and useful attachment for a knitting machine and method of using same. While a preferred embodiment is shown arm per machine section, rigidly attached to said shaft and 7 extending substantially radially therefrom to a point substantially adjacent to and in front of the knitting area;

yarn holding means carried by the outer end of said arms, operative when said shaft is rotated placing said means into the knitting area, to engage and .hold a sinker or divider loop; means normally urging rotation of said shaft in a direction to bring said yarn holding means into operative position in the knitting area; holding means normally positively preventing rotation of said shaft; and means for releasing said holding means in timed relation to the knitting action.

2. The method of knitting special efiects into fabrics on a standard flat bed full fashion machine, the steps comprising: forming a single yarn course of loops on all needles; knitting said loops into the fabric; forming a single yarn second course of loops on all needles; positively holding one or more sinker loops of said second course without transferring said loops while knitting the needle loops into the fabric; subsequently releasing said held loops; and repeating the foregoing'steps until the desired ing the foregoing steps until the desired length of pattern 2,233, 112 Sheeler Feb. 25, 1941 is formed in the knitted fabric. 2,270,853 Sheeler Feb. 27, 1942 2,428,529 Schmidt et a1 Oct. 7, 1947 References Cited in the file of this patent 2,491,173 G i D 13, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 2, ,36 od June 8, 1954 1,687,866 Kaufman Oct. 16, 1928 2,597,923 Kohler et a] w- 1954 2,012,095 Cole et a1 Aug. 20, 1935 FOREIGN PATENTS 2,040,326 Nebel May 12, 1936 373,863 Germany Aug. 31, 1920 

